


Come Find Me

by RakishAngle (afterdinnerminx)



Series: You Always Surprise Me, Don't Ever Stop [2]
Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-18 02:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4689194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterdinnerminx/pseuds/RakishAngle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Unsportsmanlike.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please accept my apologies for my premature posting yesterday. I must have been a little too excited and accidentally hit "post" when I meant to hit "save". This one is for real, though :)

_"Arrived in London. Come find me."_

Phryne was staring down at the card that was hand-delivered to her door. It was 7am on a Saturday morning. 

Jack? They had exchanged telegrams around six weeks ago. 

His:  
P&O 1 November 1929 STOP  
Correct meaning? STOP

Hers:  
Yes STOP  
Hurry STOP

Phryne had received letters from Dot and Jane, each implied that Jack was on his way but no other information was forthcoming. He wasn't due to arrive for another two weeks. But, he's here!

Then, breakfast was delivered. She didn't order breakfast. Eggs, toast, fruit and tea. And another note.

_"You said hurry. I did. Now, it is your turn. Eat up and be downstairs in 45 minutes. You have a full day. Anything can happen. Dress for it. Nothing else needed."_

For being awake at this ungodly hour after 3 hours of sleep and a fair few cocktails, this was a surprisingly nice way to start the day. But only because it was him. Perfectly coifed Phryne arrived in the hotel lobby 47 minutes after reading the note. She looked around. No Jack.

The concierge approached to let her know that her driver had arrived. She was walked out to the car and given a letter. The concierge checked with the driver on whether he had the address before wishing her a good day and watch as her car departed.

She opened the letter.

_"Dear Phryne,_

_I never expected that you would ask me to come after you. I had thought you may have meant it metaphorically. Once, I got your telegram, I was pleased to see that the desire you expressed was more concrete and more immediate than my initial interpretation._

_You had asked me how I felt about you. Do you remember? I described this as best as I could but words are deficient. I felt that your request to come after you was a grand gesture that was deserving of more than purchasing a ticket and arriving at your doorstep._

_I want you to understand my clarity of purpose in accepting your invitation. I am hoping that a reciprocal grand gesture from my part will help to better express my feelings for you and of what I hope we can become for each other._

_I will be waiting for you tonight and eager to hear about your day._

_Yours,  
_Jack"__

Phryne wasn't sure what she expected when she told him to come after her. It certainly wasn't a promise. They were very careful not to give each other promises before she left.

He did warn her that he was a serious man. It felt as if he was doing something very seriously. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. What she thought...well, Phryne expected that they would pick up that glorious and, rather athletic, affair they started the week before her journey to London.

She missed him, of course. The joy she felt when learning he was coming to her was unequalled. Yet, she knew she was asking a lot. This was no short journey. Even with the opening of the Suez canal, the trip took over a month. Policemen don't just *get* to take that sort of leave. Whatever this was, she owed it to him to give her full attention. After all, she was no ostrich. If she didn't agree, they'd just work it out. At least, that is what she said to the tightness gripping her chest.


	2. The Royal Observatory

The car stopped outside at the Royal Observatory. Her attention was brought to the couple waiting for her on the bench outside of the main building. "Phryne!" 

She was surprised to see these two. They were due at the courthouse this morning. "Good morning Mother" She gave her a kiss "Father." She gave him a look "What are you doing here?" 

"Your Inspector asked us to come and meet you here." Margaret answered with a gleam in her eye. "You weren't expecting us?"

"I...you know very well that I wasn't expecting to see you here." She considered the location and the company. During their last murder investigation, she was describing her father's pursuits were definitively earthbound. Why wasn't Jack here? The location was stunning. She would have loved to look out on the city of London with him next to her. She contemplated the view at night and wondered how he might improve a romantic overture over the last time he tried.

Then a thought came to her as she looked at her mother. "I wasn't aware that you were acquainted with Jack Robinson."

"Oh, yes. He came to the house the night before last, didn't he Henry?" Her husband nodded. "I think he wanted to have a chat about you, my love. Perhaps to tell us of his intentions."

Phryne's eyes went wide and her hand up to her mouth. Oh, no. Jack, please no. 

"He asked us to meet here so that we could show you this. He said something about expanding universes or...did you understand that part, Henry?" The thought was waved off with the flick of a hand. The three of them stopped at the front door of the Royal Observatory. The door had a line running down the middle of it.

"Henry, I thought you said that Phryne was smitten with this young man. She looks positively horrified right now." 

"Oh Margaret, she always looks horrified. Especially when speaking of men who might feel some kindness toward her. Even, her father." 

She looked at her parents, who just weeks ago were on the verge of separation. Now they were standing side by side, holding hands and sharing a thread of secret meanings woven between the words said aloud. 

"So, what will you do about Jack, my dear?" Her father was looking at her, eyebrows raised and hopeful. "I just need to know how hard I have to work in order to get him to call me Henry. Baron is really quite formal."

She grimaced and crossed her arms. "I don't know."

"Well, darling," her mother said "I'm supposed to give you this." It is another letter. "Are you going to open it? He promised it wouldn't embarrass you." She opens the letter. 

_"Dear Phryne,_

_I hope you are looking at the Prime Meridian right now. It isn't anything I had hoped to see in my lifetime but I am so glad I did. It is the point from which all things are measured. A discussion to have later, perhaps._

_Do you recall my claim that Fisher the Elder is more resourceful and unpredictable than Fisher the Younger? It didn't appear as if you were ready to accept it at the time but I maintain that this is true. I will provide you evidence to demonstrate my case._

_The evidence is my staircase. More specifically, the evidence is a spindle, on my staircase. It was fully functioning the day before your visit. (I hope you remember how it came to its demise?)_

_I have gotten to know you well enough to know something of your hearty appetites. Considering how things were developing, and in the urgency which described your need to be rid of your father, it goes against all reason that you would have made the choice to leave Melbourne. You could have remained in Australia and to facilitate the inevitable decimation of the remaining spindles on my staircase (I hope you know this to be true). And yet, you chose to bring the man who is standing in front of you home to the love of his life._

_Could you have been outsmarted again?_

_Or_

_Could their reconciliation - and your father's happiness - mean more than you were willing to share? I can hardly begrudge your desire to help them find their way back to one another. You must have known they would be happy._

_I am curious whether you ever imagine wanting something similar for yourself. Whether you do or not, the fact remains. His desires trumped yours._

_I hope you aren't worried about any "intentions" I might have on you. Your mother was quite keen on using that word frequently. I am not sure whether she is serious or not. Irregardless, I am finding my thoughts on that matter ambiguous and not nearly as important to me as they once were._

_Yours,  
_Jack__

_PS - I suspect that your mother is going to want you to read this letter out loud. I shall leave that to your discretion._  
_PPS - I am not calling him Henry._  
_PPPS (and this is getting ridiculous) - You still aren't a telescope."_

"See Margaret, I told you." Margaret pats Henry's hand and gives him a smile. Phryne realizes that she has been smiling as she read his letter.

Margaret says to Phryne "I hope you don't mind, dear. We have some business to get on with this morning. More legal battles, you see." She watches as her parents stand and walk away arm-in-arm.


	3. Crystal Palace Racing Club

_"To the Office of Madame President of the Adventuress Club (Melbourne Chapter) ,_

_I am pleased to inform you that you will soon meet Helle Nice, recent winner of the Grand Prix. I have heard rumors that she is shortlisted to join the national team in France. It seems that there are like minded women everywhere._

_Mlle. Nice is known for being a rather athletic driver and one known for her driving finesse. While you, on the other hand, are good at the former and lacking in the latter. For the safety of public roads everywhere, plans have been arranged for a morning session with Ms. Nice for the improvement of your approach to driving. She has been briefed on the hazards of your motoring acquaintance, including unexpected appearances of rogue stockings._

_I wouldn't be surprised if you find that you recognize each other from your time in France. You are of the same age, have similar interests and appeared to be in the same places at the same time. Dance halls, mostly? I hope the two of you won't get up to too much trouble. It is only fair to remind you that I have been recently trained in extradition processes and have already looked into what would happen should I need to arrest you for reckless driving whilst you are here._

_Yours,  
Jack"_

It turns out that she had seen Helle before but never knew her name. She also recalls then when she knew her, she hadn't been wearing so many clothes. 

She spoke in French. "Mlle. Phryne! I was hoping it was you. It had been too long since I had heard from my dear friend Mac and now that I see you, I remember your face."

Now she remembered. Helle was the reason she discovered Mac's proclivities in the bedroom...and the kitchen...and bathroom...and anywhere else that suited them. 

It is fair to say that their passion was no small influence on how Phryne began to see the world as it was available to her. From then on, should something she wanted seem unavailable, she simply embraced anyway and to hell with the world. How delightful to see her again!

Wait. Mac? How did...? What...? What was Mac doing in this grand gesture of Jack's? 

Helle gave her a conspiratorial grin and admitted. "Mac asked me for a small favor. Apparently, I am to remind you to not be an idiot." The two women went to the garage to find suitable motoring clothes and show her the car that was chosen for her. "Strangely enough, the man I met yesterday asked me to do the same. Different meaning, I think?"

"You have a Hispano Suiza? I think you will like this one very much. It is a Mercedes-Benz SSK roadster. Beautiful, no? The chassis has been shortened to make more quick around the curves."

"How did you choose this car instead of the others?" Phryne took an appreciating glance around the room before returning her attention to this absolutely stunning car. She was running her ran hand along the curves of this automobile and peeking at the interior to take it all in.

"Well, actually it wasn't me. For a first drive, I would have chosen the Stutz Speedster over there" she nodded her head in the direction of a sleek black car that paled in comparison to the one she was standing next to. 

Phryne was dumbstruck. Jack. He could have chosen a slower car. A safer car. No car at all. But, instead he wanted her to have this. Why? 

"Shall we go for a drive, then?"

"Oh, definitely!"


	4. Wimbledon Tennis Club

After an exhilarating drive and a very fun reunion, Phryne was summoned back to the car. A shame to be sure but the two women exchanged calling cards in the hopes that they would be able to reconnect while they were both in London.

It takes 30 minutes to arrive at the next destination: Wimbledon Tennis Club

She was greeted by a porter and brought onto the grass to be introduced to Phoebe Watson, the reigning women's doubles tennis champion. "It is so nice to meet you. I have heard about the tournaments that you hosted just a few months ago in Australia. I've always wanted to come to visit. Angela said that you put on quite an event." 

That name wasn't one Phryne expected to hear. "Angela Lombard?"

"Oh yes, she's the one who arranged the initial introductions with your manager. I think he said he was a manager, at any rate. You wanted a tour, didn't you?"

Angela's interest in Jack's talents was not lost on her but she didn't imagine for a moment that the feeling was mutual. Why was Jack still speaking with Angela Lombard? He had surprised her at least once before when she discovered his interest in the lovely Italian woman, Concetta Fabrizi. It upset her to think that he wouldn't be available to her anymore. She was disappointed that the promise of their growing closeness might be usurped by someone who was, in all likelihood, better suited to the life Phryne imagined Jack would want. He never spoke of either instance, nor if there were more. He knew about her dalliances; she never hid them. He seemed upset when she tried to find out more about Concetta, as if she was invading his privacy. Well, she was, she supposed. Her feelings on the matter were unsettling to her. 

Well, it was unlikely that this field trip was arranged a self-analysis of her views on fidelity (or was it?). She was at Wimbledon for the first time and wanted to know more about providing greater opportunity to talented female athletes.

Ms. Watson took her around the facility, showed her the photos of women players since the first championship in 1884. "Would like me to show you center court?" Phryne nodded and the women continued talking about tennis, tournaments and the need to raise funds to allow women the same opportunities as their male counter parts. They exchanged information and promised to keep in touch about future events. "I hope you will visit the antipodes before too long, Ms. Watson."

"Oh, before I forget, I was meant to give you this." An envelope.

She got back in the car. "Do we have many more stops, driver?" 

"Actually ma'am, I will be taking you to Southfield Station. A ticket has been arranged for your travel back into London center. A different driver will be there to meet you at the other end. I understand there will be one more stop after that before your reservation for late lunch." With that, they started on their way to the station.

Phryne opened the envelope and pulled out a page cut out of a recent society section from an Australian newspaper. There is a photo of her and Jack, looking surprised in an interrupted embrace. She had a similar page somewhere at home. There was also a note inside.

_"Dear Phryne,_

_What did you think of this photo? I don't think they captured my best side. You, on the other hand, don't have a bad side. You look stunning as usual. Perhaps all the more so for getting caught._

_I'm not sure that I ever said but perhaps I should have: helping you out of your dress was far more satisfying._

_Did you ever get those photos developed?_

_Yours,  
_Jack"__

She hadn't but she's starting to think that she should.


	5. Bayswater Train

The train from Southfield Station to Bayswater Station took an hour. The driver had given her a basket of food, despite saying that a late lunch had already been planned for her. It was just past noon. She was peckish, grimy and feeling the effects of having very little sleep. She started unpacking and consuming her first of (apparently) two lunches and pulled out letter and a package that were also enclosed.

The letter was from Jack. She started to open it but saw the writing on the package beside and changed her mind.

The package itself was a large padded white envelope covered in hand-drawn hearts, doodles, and an unmissable note that said "Open me first!". She turned it over to open it and noticed a message in all capital letters "BEWARE. ONLY MISS FISHER ENTERS HERE." There was a Jolly Roger flag drawn over seam of the envelope where it had been sealed along with a kiss in the lightest of pink lipstick. 

Jane!

Phryne opened Jane's package and pulled out an item wrapped in an excessive amount of tissue paper and a piece of paper folded four-square taped on the top. She was definitely reading this one first.

_"Dear Miss Fisher,_

_Before I say anything else, I just want to make sure that this package was not tampered with in any way. I had been asked whether I wanted to include something person to send to you. I did, of course but I made them promise me absolute secrecy. So, if this was mussed, you must let me know right away so that I can find the offending lout (note, my creative use of a new vocabulary word.)_

_The Inspector is on his way to see you. He is the one who promised me he will be hand carrying this package. So, if you have this, you probably already know that. I'm not very experienced in romantic matters but what ever these plans are, it has led to complete madness in your absence. And, you usually have a lot going on. So, the comparison is telling._

_Dot and Mr. Butler have been planning all sorts of things. They have been writing letters and making phone calls. Dr. Mac has been coming over to discuss the plans and to make sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed do. The Inspector has also been coming over quite a lot to check in. He doesn't say a lot and he seems to be acting quite shy. I think he might be planning some more things that others aren't involved in but he isn't sharing any details. Even Aunt Prudence is getting involved in the action! At first, she was being a bit stand-offish but Bert gave her a good talking to. She was the one who went straight to the Chief Commissioner to make sure that the Inspector could get all the time off he wanted. I think she also planned a surprise for the Inspector. He bought an ordinary steamer ticket but she arranged for him to travel in a first class cabin. You were right, Miss Fisher. As long as she thinks it is her idea, she is very generous. I think she is doing it for you. But, maybe she likes the Inspector more than she lets on?_

_I haven't gotten to my message yet. This is what I wanted to tell you._

_Do you remember when Ruth and I were here and you caught us with your jewelry? We gave most of it back but I held back one piece. It was a diamond brooch in the shape of a snowflake. You were tucking me in bed and I thought I was going to welfare the next day. I just couldn't stand thinking that I was going to steal it when you had been so nice to me. I gave it back to you that night. You told me that you were prepared to let it go if I wanted it badly enough but you were glad to have it back._

_Do you remember that? If you didn't, it seemed important that I reminded you - you know, from one not-nice girl to another._

_I am going to write you another letter that I will post separately. You are probably thinking to yourself that I shouldn't be home from boarding school. Well, there was the small matter of a misunderstanding between me and Elsie White. Don't worry. I have apologized profusely and working to make amends. But you should probably know all of the details._

_I also have so much to tell you about this new book I'm reading and a letter that I got from Kip. Is it wrong to think he is handsome? Some of the girls in school get in trouble by talking about boys. I trust you more than Miss Lynton and think you'll tell me the truth._

_I hope that whatever surprise people are planning makes you very happy. I miss you so much and hope that we can see each other during my next proper break._

_Love,  
Jane" _

Phryne opened up the tissue paper to see the diamond brooch Jane mentioned. She did remember that evening and she remembered saying that. Their story was so similar. Growing up quite poor to unfortunate circumstances then landing into wealth at the cusp of womanhood. Neither of them was willing to subvert their own knowledge of opinions for the sake of other. For Phryne, it meant the world to her that she could be to Jane what neither of her parents could be for her. 

The things that come out of Jane are sometimes startling - not so much in the actual words but in Jane's ability to articulate beyond her years what Phryne is not often willing to admit to herself. She was touched that Jane would have thought of that particular moment to share and wondered if her ward knew why she was saying it. 

The brooch was returned to the basket and the letter pulled out again.

_"Dear Phryne,_

_I hope that you adhered to Jane's wishes and read her letter first. She was very specific in the delivery of said letter and should she find out otherwise...we'll let's just say that I'm almost more afraid of her than I am of you._

_Do you remember the day we met Jane? I thought of her yesterday when taking this same journey. I always think of her when I'm on a train. Would you find it presumptuous of me if I told you that I consider her as someone we found together? I have become very fond of her, you know. I have great trepidation in putting pen to paper in admitting to you that I desire a larger role in her life. I don't know what that would actually mean between us. Would you consider the idea on its own terms?_

_So you know, Jane has sought my opinion in a certain matter regarding Elsie White. I don't want to share too many details but I imagine you would have done exactly the same._

_When I asked you about becoming a ward for Jane, you said that nothing that matters is easy. Do you still believe that is the case? My thoughts on this are currently being challenged._

_I suppose you have figured out by now that I could not have made these arrangements on my own. I am humbled by the investment of friends and family, mostly yours, to bring the two of us closer. I planned to make a quip about bandying about your name in order to get things done. Quite frankly, other people have been bandying about your name (on my behalf). I am feeling quite swept away by the experience. I don't know what I may have done to deserve their collective faith that by investing in me, you will be happier. I am touched by this, nonetheless._

_I miss you, Phryne. I have had no doubts for some time about wanting you. I remind myself that my original plans had us meeting again in 2 weeks. That doesn't seem to make the wait for another day any less excruciating._

_I fear that this will all overwhelm you. That in revealing my thoughts will result in your running from me rather than towards me. I can't second guess this. You did say to come after you. I should hope that even if you aren't prepared for the full force of what is coming your way, you will acknowledge that you asked me to do this. To bare myself fully. Whether you accept or reject all I have to give, it can only be true by my willingness to overcome the deception of cowardice._

_Good lord, this letter has become far too serious. Even for me._

_If you haven't eaten yet, please make sure you do before disembarking the train. The lunch as planned will more likely happen around high tea and you won't have time to eat before then. I was pleased to find out that ham, cheese and pickle sandwiches are also a particular favorite of yours._

_Yours,  
Jack"_


	6. Porchester Spa

Phryne pondered her morning while surrendering to the able-bodied Olga for a blissful hour of pummeling.

There must be some pattern to the places that had been chosen. To the messages sent. What was it? The observatory, the race track, the tennis court, the train and now a spa. These were all places in Melbourne that they had been part of investigations. But why these? What's the connection?

They could all be associated with clubs of some kind. Well, only if you consider that the case on the Ballarat train was loosely associated with a rowing club. And that beautiful specimen who tried to lustfully compromise her in the middle of a case. If that was the connection then you'd have to consider...well, no...and if...no. Not only was this a stretch, the connection was far too trivial.

Hm. 

Could it be that he's trying to come clean about being jealous of other men? Osman Efendi at the observatory. Alistair...oh, no...it was Lindsay at the rowing club...not that he should count. The spa...the spa...that tango dancer...Sasha de Lisse. The racing circuit? No, there wasn't anyone. So, that can't be it. And it doesn't fit his character to belabor the point he'd already made.

The spa. The case with the spa was when she met Dot and he hauled her away for questioning. And Lydia Andrews was arrested as well. Maybe that was it. The next case - the train - Jane was hauled off to be accused of theft and perhaps murder. Tennis court - Stanley Burrows was arrested, and rightfully so (the fool). The racing track and death of her friend Gertie resulted in the arrest of her friend and fellow adventuress Ailsa Wilton. The observatory - her long lost cousin Eugene Fisher. Now that she thinks of it, Jack has hauled off or arrested everyone associated with her household, with the exception of Mr. Butler! And, why hasn't he found an opportunity to slap Aunt Pru in chains yet? 

This is not a connection that sounds particularly amorous. So, this probably isn't it. Though, he did mention extradition. I wonder if one of these "gifts" he will share with her will be his set of manacles...would he really go this far for a bit of naughtiness? Would Jack even consider play with manacles? 

No, that can't be right. She has no good working theory. 

Today was about someone showing her a series of very thoughtful choices made that day that would have been chosen by someone who knew her intimately. He KNEW her. For all that her lover (could she call him that, now?) held her attention, she couldn't have done the same for him. 

She remembered how horribly she felt when she had made plans for coming to London without even considering Jack. The list she berated herself at the time with was filled with all of the things he knew about her, and did for her:

_The way he carried her after she was poisoned by Foyle._

_The look in his eyes when he caught her with Compton...and when Warwick made that comment about "sanctity of the boudoir."_

_The way he lunged at a fork full of gratin._

_The way he kissed her to distract her from Rene DuBois._

_The way he fucked her senseless._

_The way he held her gently._

_The way he helped her keep Jane._

_The way he hated her driving._

_The way he looked into her eyes._

_The way he made her feel beautiful whether she was wearing a beaded gown or a couple of ol' fans._

_The time he tried to leave her._

None of these things were really about him at all. These were all things that he either did for her or the way he reacted to her. The first time she thought of this list, it was about appreciating him. This time, it is about realizing that she doesn't know him. Not the way he knows her.

He always knew exactly what she needed. Why couldn't she do the same for him? Because he has always held his cards close to his chest. That's why.

Her massage ended, leaving her one big pile of rejuvenated mush. She still had another 30 minutes before she needed to think about getting dressed. She wrapped herself in a large towel, ordered some mint tea and went to sit by the pool.

Another letter came with her tea.

_"Dear Phryne,_

_"I am still not entirely sure what happens in a Turkish Bath House. Perhaps you can tell me (show me) later? Have you been to one of these bath houses in Turkey or do you simply go to Turkish bath houses in all of the other countries you visit? Not an important question, but I did wonder._

_Have figured it out yet, honorable lady detective? Today, that is. As I am not there as a resource to pry information out of, I thought I might be so kind as to provide a clue (see enclosed.)_

_Do you recognize this card? Well, I hope you would recognize your own calling card. This particular calling card suffered from a spray of expelled champagne after my choking on your words. This is the one item that I will not be sharing with you after today. It is mine and I want it back. I have earned it._

_But, do you remember when you gave me this card? And the circumstances? It was recently after I had met your acquaintance._

_On the first day of knowing you, I learned that you were nosy and irksome. Though, I admit you were not bereft of observational skills._

_On the second day, I learned that you could be useful. Did I ever properly thank you for bringing George Fletcher to me in brown paper packaging and string? It was a very thoughtful gift. Thank you._

_On the third day, you gave me this card. I learned that I would have to plan on purchasing aspirin in larger quantities._

_Actually, it was the day my life changed. I knew it even then. However, I couldn't have foreseen how events would transpire._

_Perhaps this will help you with the rest of the clues._

_Yours,  
Jack" _

So, he has decided to show his hand. How magnificent!


	7. L'Escargot

"Soupe a l'Oignon. Tres magnifique!" 

Phryne was looking forward to her second lunch. She was still was still feeling tired from her lack of sleep but thanks to a lovely session at the Porchester Spa and a mysterious change in outfit (probably one picked out by Dot) that was waiting for her in the dressing room, she was rejuvenated. And remarkably hungry.

It wasn't too difficult to imagine which clue Jack was trying to drop in a french restaurant. She no longer had to worry about Rene DuBois. She got her painting back. And, she received a decisive kiss from Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. That is what this clue is about - no question. She accused him of having gained a new furrow in his eyebrow after kissing her that day. She gained one from the length of time it took to give her a second. 

God, the memory of his mouth. Who would have imagined how much pleasure came with a man who could look like such a sour puss sometimes? But, Jack Robinson was not just one man. He so many men at once. He could be so tender in one moment and devour her in the next. He could be so compassionate then so...grumpy. He simply fascinated her. She genuinely hadn't thought of another man while she was here. Not even tempted.

She marveled at the new decor of the two hundred year old building. L'Escargot has only been open for 2 years. It staggers her to think about how Jack (Dot? Mr. Butler? Mac?) found out about this place when she had only learned of it recently. The smell of the rich stock permeating the dining room was heavenly. The only thing better would be to upgrade the company.

This experience would be so much nicer if she weren't alone. She wanted Jack. In a way, he had been with her all day but she wanted to speak with him. To sit with him. To run her stockinged foot up his trouser leg...and perhaps see him give her a stern look in lieu of asking her out loud to stop. How can he possibly be in London and not be with her right now? 

A thought occurred to Phryne. She and Jack had never stepped out together! Is that what this is? Is he wooing her? Well, of course it is. He is just making it more complicated. No, not complicated. Complex. 

Their romance had begun early on by sharing drinks as part of wrapping up investigations. She would host dinner from time to time, usually unplanned and out of convenience. There was that one time in Luna Park, which was so much more fun than watching Giorgos the Greek adore himself in her mirror. Did Jack know what he was (not) interrupting? Sometimes, it seemed he had a crystal ball. As if to punctuate this thought, another letter arrived. 

_"Dear Phryne,  
Did you know that we have shared 685 borrowed kisses between us? That is my best count. I know the figure because I have been replaying them like sheep. Each of them a precious thing to be accounted for to prevent it getting lost forever. _

_There was also that stolen kiss. To this day, I wonder where I got the gall to do that. It is truly disconcerting to think how much of the past year as been taking up thinking of how you felt, of how you tasted that day._

_Don't think for a moment that I have forgotten the expiry of our deferment. Yes, that one. It is unfortunate for me that I have come to the realization that I can no more be content without your kisses than I can be content without you. For, I can't. It would be easier to give up breathing._

_The only thing for it is to seduce you so thoroughly that you have eyes for no other. As a mere mortal, it seems impossible. And yet, that hasn't kept me from imagining ways I might try. I would be Sisyphus if you were my rock. Just last week, when I was missing you terribly, I pondered how I might kiss you with such intensity that you could be warmed on a cold winter's day simply by evoking its memory._

_This leaves me with a dilemma. I can't ask you to forsake all others. How can I make peace with such a reckless idea? Well, to start, you should never think I am at peace with it. I would never be at peace with it. But promises aren't things that can be commanded at will. I console myself knowing that you will, inadvertently or not, confess all whether or not I want you to. I will have to get better at making decisions in the moment...and, more importantly, keeping you occupied._

_I feel it is only fair to let you in on a secret. You have a tell, Miss Phryne Fisher. A few, actually, depending on what you are trying to get away with. Far be it for me to ask you to behave properly. By all means, you should continue breaking and entering, performing the odd fan dance, act as target for the knife thrower and whatever keeps you being **you** , Phryne. Just know that, you don't get away with nearly as much as you think you do._

_Yours,  
Jack"_

Phryne was vaguely aware that her eyes felt glazed and her fingertips were on her lips. She felt stunned. How much did he know? Did she do something to hurt him? 

She needed to speak with Jack. To tell him...to make him understand...but he did understand and that was worse.

"Phrynekins!" 

She shook out of her haze to see her cousin Guy and his wife Isabella striding toward her purposefully. This seemed an odd time for Jack to plan a meeting with someone.

"What brings you here, darling?" Oh, it wasn't planned then. "You weren't meeting with some handsome devil, were you?"

Phryne looked confused. She wrinkled up her eyes at Isabella asking for clarification.

"Well, we just saw that gorgeous pol..." Phryne didn't wait for the rest. She dashed out the door in hopes of finding a brown fedora walking down the street. She ran down one side and peered into the alley. Nothing. She crossed the road to try the other side. She found the car with her driver. 

"Where is he?"

"I'm sorry ma'am. Who?"

She forced herself to speak calmly. "The man who hired you"

At least he had the decency to look ashamed as he cleared his throat. She glared back at him as she went back into the restaurant.

Guy and Isabella made themselves comfortable at her table. As she approached they perched respective chins into their upturned palms.

"Cousin, dear?" asked Guy, incredulously. "Did I just see you chasing after a man?"


	8. The Gondoliers at the Savoy Theatre

She probably shouldn't have been so sharp with cousin Guy. Especially when he was right. When, exactly, did _she_ start chasing after men? 

The car stopped outside of the Savoy Theatre. The Gondoliers is playing again! She read that Percy Anderson had just redesigned the costumes for the new opening a few weeks ago. She got out of the car and was greeted by Bart Tarrant, producer and friend. He looked like he might be waiting for her.

"Bart, I didn't know you were producing this show! How lovely to see you."

"Phryne!" He put on his best dramatic air as if he were on stage.

 _"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale_  
_Her infinite variety: other women cloy_  
_The appetites they feed: but she makes hungry_  
_Where most she satisfies."_

"So, he got to you, too, did he?"

"I'm not sure what you could possibly mean." He said with a twinkle in his eye. "No, I'm not producing this show. I have given up Gilbert and Sullivan for the time being. But Leila is playing Tessa and I was coming to watch her dress rehearsal."

"I glad you have found each other, Bart." He wore a melancholic veil over his smile. Phryne could tell how much he loved and missed Dorothea Curtis, Leila's mother. The reunion with his daughter must be bittersweet but hopefully becoming more sweet with time.

She opted to play the coquette. "Any chance you can get me in to show show me the new costumes, Bart?" His love for the theater was still very evident as he took her around the legendary building and finally to the costume room.

"Bart" Phryne said. "If you could do it all again...with Dorothea. What would you change?

"When we finished Penzance and we were offered roles in London...here, in fact...I came and she retired for a year in Australia. Well, I didn't know that she was pregnant with Leila, did I? She never told me. Had I known, I would have ...well, hopefully brought her with me. But even with what I knew, I wish I hadn't left her. We got a second chance a year later when I came back but then she died. I never got over it, Phryne." His eyes teared up even then.

"Oh Bart." She put her hand on his. 

Bart looked her in the eye. "You didn't ask that for my benefit, did you?"

"No. I..."

"Is this about your inspector?" 

She nodded.

"You know, he asked me the same question."

"He did?" A thought occurred to her. "When did you see him?"

"Just a few hours ago. He was surprised to see me here as well - said he couldn't believe his luck to find a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta on such short notice." He changed his glance so that he was looking at her side ways from under his eye lashes. "I helped him choose some better seats. Hope you don't mind."

It made her heart happy to see him smile like that.

"Did he tell you what he was up to?"

Her friend Bart gave her a telling look. "He would arrest me if I told you the answer to that. But he gave me this letter to give to you. Said it would be a happy coincidence." He looked at her again more seriously this time and held her hand. "If I were you, I wouldn't think to hard about what to do. In fact, I wouldn't think at all. You already know." He kissed her hand, sweetly.

Bart went to meet Leila backstage. Phryne walked into the auditorium to sit and watch some of the dress rehearsal. She thought about Jack on stage, holding his hat in his hand. _"Age cannot wither her..."_ Before his speech, she told him that he'd turn her head. He was still married then. Separated but still considered himself married. Still, she knew the selection was for her. Cleopatra.

So, the letter then. What will he tell her next?

_"Dear Phryne,  
Imagine my surprise when I came to your aunt's costume party to see you dressed as Cleopatra. I thought it must be coincidence, surely. Until you pulled out the costume you had planned for me. How clever of you, to remember. I apologize for my unwillingness to be your Marc Antony for the evening. That said, and for future purpose, I will gladly act out any scenes you would like but would like to avoid fancy dress if at all possible. _

_It was easy to see you as Cleopatra, then. Independent. Beauty, Headstrong, Seductress, Leader. I have learned since learned the limits on this comparison._

_You would have never fled during the Battle of Actium. No, you would have engaged yourself more completely despite any pleas I might have made for you to find safety._

_There could have never been an Octavia._

_If it was us and not them, we could have held Egypt._

_You have been my confidant and, my partner and, dare I say it, lovers (I use that word because you like it.) So, how is it that you can be so far from me? To hear from Hugh (!) that you were leaving. To have missed any consultation. To not have been considered until after the fact. It left me stunned._

_I have said, and I meant it, that I begrudge nothing in your decision. I couldn't even tell you that should the tables have been turned and I was the one leaving, whether I would have acted differently than you. My working theory - and it may not be a good one - is that we have come to know each other well enough to show up when we are needed...but not confident enough in our affections to show up when we are the ones in need._

_You have called me a careful man. You are right. I am. So, I have thought a long time before I bring you this thought. I think we know each other more than either of us knows. I wanted to prove it. My purpose is to show you that I know you, that you can count on be to act on your behalf...and that you might know me, just as much._

_So, show me I'm right. Show me that you understand how I came to be in love with you, because this is the most important thing you can know about me._

_The clues never reveal themselves in the order you need them. So, let me help just a little:_

_After our first case together, I knew my life would change._

_After the train..._

_After the theatre..._

_After the restaurant..._

_After that damn car crash..._

_After the tennis match..._

_After the observatory..._

_Does this help?_

_You are still too far from me, Phryne. But, you getting closer and I can feel you catching up to me. When you find me, I will adore you. I will embrace you. I will love you. So much so, you might forget your name. You will understand, as much as I do, that we need each other desperately._

_And if I'm lucky, you will agree that we should mark today as the last we spend so far apart._

_It has been a long day and I miss you terribly. So, will you please hurry and figure this out?_

_Undeniably and completely yours,  
Jack"_

Phryne sat in the audience without registering the scenes playing out onstage. He keeps doing this. He plays her so well but it is never a game to him. How much has she changed since she knew him? She will figure this out.

"Miss Fisher?" she looked up to see a porter from the Savoy Hotel, which was located next door. "I am to escort you back to the hotel. Would you mind following me?"


	9. The Savoy Hotel

The suite overlooked the Thames and is decorated in lush pink and bronze. Her eyes scanned the space to note the 2 armoires, the couch, the 2 chairs with tables next to them, the rich cherry doors. The generous bed.

"Dinner is at 8pm. We will send a maid up in an hour for to assist you. Is there anything else you might need?"

Phryne declined and thanked them.

This is Jack's room. Her curiosity piqued. She had never been alone in his space, aside from his office. He must have known she would have to have a snoop around, wouldn't he?

She took a thoughtful stroll about the room. She looked in the ice bucket and found a handwritten note. "You are a nosy thing, aren't you?" She laughed softly. Well, if that wasn't an invitation to look around, nothing was.

She opened the armoire and found several of his suits hanging. She tipped herself in. That smell. She stayed there some moments with her eyes closed as if breathing in deeply would cause him to materialize. She ran her fingers along the sleeves remembering the last time she had seen him in each. Subconsciously she looked back at the door before sliding open the drawers. All whites, neat and tidy.

She saw what looked like a small present on a table next to one of the chairs. For her! 

She opened it and found a new internal device along with a note from Mac. "Aren't you lucky we had you fitted for one of these so recently? Do try not to wear it out." Lucky, indeed!

She took a running leap onto the bed. The mattress was very springy! She caressed the duvet and the pillows underneath her.

Her finger clipped a little envelope so she pulled it to her. Inside was a 6 centimeter light pink ostrich feather and a note that said "You almost knocked me over with this. Do it again!" She smiled. Who knew he would have been there for that particular performance?

To her left was a book on the nightstand. Antony and Cleopatra. The same one that was at his house. She rolled over, picked it up and flipped it open to the photo of her acting like a bookmark. It was still holding his place at Act 1, Scene 1. She reads what she had written to him upon leaving Australia for London:  


_"How could they not realize it needs to be measured in kisses? Heaven and earth are infinitely small in comparison. I meant every one._

_Madly, deeply in love with you._

_Your, Phryne"_

It was in reference to the opening scene in which Cleopatra demanded a measurement of love from her lover, which he claimed was beyond measure. That was the last day she saw Jack. It felt like so long ago. She slowly fanned herself with the picture and sunk more deeply into the pillows, probing her memory for his touch.

She only has 2 hours to get ready. And to have some answers!. She got up to draw herself a bath then returned to the main room. She placed letters on the bed in the order he suggested in his last letter. She places the photo she was holding next to the letter she received in the French Restaurant. Not quite right. She'll have to reconsider this one.

She begins to throw all of her ideas against the start of each sentence:

After our first case together, I knew my life would change.

After the train...We met Jane. I left the crime scene? You saw my gun. You were a passenger in my car. We shared a drink in my living room. The man who was a suspect accused the victim of being responsible for her death (like other cases?) You spoke to welfare. You have since referred to my earlier comment...nothing that matters is easy. 

After the theatre...You recited Shakespeare - Cleopatra. A declaration...were you showing off? Saved my life. Bart Tarrant - death of Dorothea? 

After the restaurant...our first kiss...and you saw me naked...well, in portrait form. This is about the kiss.

After that damn car crash...I upset you. You left me. You were scared. You came back.

After the tennis match...those lovely days and nights afterwards. 

After the observatory...I didn't give you a say in my leaving. My father? The reason you are here? The wedding. The wedding? Our night together. Your broken staircase.

 

Perhaps she knows 3 of them:

After our first case together, you knew your life would change. 

After the restaurant, you knew you would want another kiss. 

After the tennis match, you finally said yes to all the things you had wanted to do for so long. 

 

So, the other four: the train, the theatre, the car crash, the observatory. She grabbed those letters and brought them to the bathtub so she could read and ponder during her soak.

The letter on the train accompanied a letter from Jane. This must be about Jane. Was it the first time to her house? He saw Jane in new clothes looking different than the day before. She couldn't exactly have been considered motherly but perhaps it made an impression on him. Like, she might...might what? 

Move on. The theatre.

He wrote about Cleopatra. He recited Cleopatra. He directed it toward me. Was it his first declaration? She thought of the comings and goings from the day. The handsome actor who had flirted with her ended up dying. Couldn't be that. Lin. She recalled an exchange in their conversation the next day "It sounds as if you are questioning my judgement." "No, no, I'm questioning your taste in men." He was jealous. He knew he was jealous? He recognized he was jealous? That he was jealous and still married? He accused Lin of selling opium when he had no evidence for it. Was it his judgement that worried him? She was stuck.

Hm.

The car crash. God, she can still see his face that night. He floored her. She never saw that conversation coming. He made a huge decision without her. He didn't even ask how she felt. Just like she decided without him to come to London? Perhaps he knew that she couldn't give him what he wanted. But he came back. They didn't exactly pick up where they left off. But her started letting her in.

Next. The observatory.

They spend the night at his house. They declared their love for one another. He read her that quote from D.H. Lawrence about aloneness, about how one should cling to it until there is a small gap. The thing that allowed him to be with her, to not be so lonely, was to embrace loneliness. Ugh. That made her heart hurt. He can't still believe that, can he? How could he have made it here?

She rose from the bathtub, reached for a towel and started drying off. She has just more than an hour to get ready.

Oh, no! She doesn't have anything here besides that she was wearing and the diaphragm sent over by Mac. Not that she wouldn't be brave enough to wear it but it certainly didn't cover much. Perhaps she would be meeting him au natural? Well, if that's what he wanted, that's what he'll get. No time like the present to put her device in place. That - she can be ready for.

Phryne poked about the bathroom to find that a duplicate set of her entire bathroom kit, including her cosmetics. She went out to the other room to check the second armoire. She opened it to find 2 outfits - the blue and white one she wore to Luna Park and her black trousers with a pink, red and white blouse. Both were daytime outfits but at least they were clean. 

She peeked into the drawers to see if there might be anything there. What she found was only the most beautiful lingerie. She pulled out a silvery aquamarine silk set with hand knotted cream colored lace running along the top edge of the bralette and bottom help of the tap pants. She was dumbfounded. That man was full of surprises! 

She found some stockings. A matching garter in aquamarine and cream lace. There was also a stunning camisole in nude with a black embroidered tulle overlay. Oh, my...and an extraordinarily sheer, shell pink nightgown that was soft as custard. My god, does this man know his way to a woman's heart!

She laid out the aquamarine set and some stockings before wrapping herself in a hotel robe before starting her make-up. Phryne was starting to feel nervous. Discombobulated.

She didn't have an appropriate dress for dinner, she didn't have answers to half of his clues, she missed Jack. She just wanted him there, right then to talk to. She felt her eyes well up and willed the tears to keep from descending past her lashes. Stop being so childish, Phryne. She sat with her legs crossed, pressing index fingers to each side of the bridge of her nose. She inhaled deeply and resolved to get ahold of herself. 

It was then that the door knocked and a maid let herself in. "Miss Fisher, I'm here to help you get ready for dinner." She had such a sweet face. She was reminded of Dot. Phryne caught her own bloodshot eyes in the mirror and took another deep breath before putting on a glamorous smile and greeting her temporary assistant...who looked like she was carrying something quite heavy wrapped in a long sheet. 

Phryne popped up to help the maid lay it out on the bed. The maid set a pair of shoes on the floor as well. 

"What's your name, then." asked Phryne

"Oh, I couldn't possibly."

"Is it Helen?" Phryne asked with an eyebrow raised. "Mary? Enid? Susan?" she teased her a little.

The maid gave her a shy smile. 

"Margaret." The maid stifled a giggle. "Maggie?" The maid beamed and Phryne responded in kind. "You look like a Maggie."

Phryne puffed out a packet of air and smiled tightly. "Let's see this dress then." She pulled the note off of the dress hanger.

_"I made sure it was lethal."_

She had never considered herself a hard hearted person but she felt - physically felt - that the tissue around her heart had become brittle without her permission. It rioted against her by developing small cracks all over and threatening break open, leaving her utterly exposed. Not now. Please, not now.

Maggie unwrapped the dress and looked at it in awe.

The dress was dazzling. Phryne placed her hand on her mouth and watched Maggie hold it up to show her the front and back. Her hand was shaking. 

It was so beautiful.

The neckline was shaped in a wide v-shape that blended into centimeter wide beaded straps. The slip was cream colored. It was covered in lace embroidered with iridescent pink beads, pearls and crystals. Silk embroidered leaves in silvery green climbed from the skirt to the torso of the dress. These branches topped themselves in crimson silk flowers specked with rhinestone dew drops. The asymmetric skirt was plush with petaled tiers. The back also came to a v but much lower. Much.

At her feet, satin crimson heels with silver t-straps.

She couldn't breathe. She tried to hold them back but the tears were coming, anyway. They were heaving themselves out of her. God knows why she was crying.

Maggie stared at her in shock. No one in her entire 9 months of working here has ever responded like this when getting dressed. She ran into the bathroom to wet a towel with cold water.

"Miss, please. Here. Hold this against your face, Miss." Phryne buried her face into the towel with her head bent and continued to sob, overwhelmed with distress. 

"My mum says that sometimes you just need a good cry." Maggie was trying to calm her.

Phryne looked at the clock. "I only have 30 more minutes," she wailed. Her chin dropped down and she started crying again. Phryne let her legs collapse underneath her so that she came to be sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the bed.

"No, no. Miss, please don't. I'll go downstairs to get you cucumbers. That will help with the puffiness around the eyes." She left the room in haste.

Phryne hadn't yet thought about the puffiness around her eyes. Is there ANYTHING ELSE? Her cry became silent even as her chest still shook. She looked up at the bed thought of the gown and of the letters lined up for consideration. She looked a mess. She felt a mess.

She can't do it. He asked her for too much. She can't do it by herself.

Wait.

She can't do it _by herself._

Breathe, Phryne.

Phryne got up and went to the bathroom to splash cold water on her now ridiculously puffy face. She looked up at the ceiling, shook her head and confronted herself in the mirror. "Honestly, now? You hold it together so often...and now you fall apart?" 

She'll get ready. She doesn't need all the answers. He'll help her.

She looked around the bathroom and was grateful to find some cold cream. These streaks of errant mascara did absolutely nothing for her cheekbones. 

25 minutes. 

She sat again at the vanity to put her make-up on. Fortunately, her hair was mostly styled. She found a sturdy fabric hair comb that attach Jane's brooch to and secured it just over her right ear.

She was still looking a little glazed but it would be alright.

She put on her garter belt and stockings before topping with the tap pants. They felt like heaven. Then she put on the bralette. It was perfect. If Maggie didn't show up again soon, she'd have to go to dinner like this. Maybe that wasn't so bad?

She had to continue to tell herself to breathe. 10 more minutes. Checked her hair and her lips. Small dabs of perfume at her wrists and breastbone.

Just the dress and her shoes.

Maggie returned with a covered silver tray carrying thinly sliced cucumbers. "Maggie, thank you." She shared a genuine smile. "Can you help me into this?"

Phryne slid on the dress. Maggie buttoned up the back. Oh, can't wear the bralette with this particular dress then. She removed the undergarment and pulled the straps back up.

It fit her perfectly. The dip at the front met the dip of her skin of her chest. The rise of her breasts perfectly inviting, if she said so herself. This was a lethal dress, indeed. The fabric draped closely over her torso and her skirt danced along her legs when she moved. She put her shoes on and added the silk wrap that had been hiding under the dress.

Someone knocked on the door. Jack! Phryne quickly checked the mirror again, straightened a hair that had not been out of place and went to open the door personally.

Not Jack.

A letter. She closed her eyes.

_"Dear Phryne,_

_Rooftop Terrace. I'm waiting._

_Love,  
Jack"_

She clipped down the hallway but it felt like she was moving through honey. The elevator took ages to arrive. She tells the service man her destination: Rooftop. The cable brake in the elevator releases. The rising chamber makes her stomach drop. The stop and she feels the bounce as the cable re-engages. 

Phryne had read somewhere that the human body under stress - like jumping out of airplanes - or when feeling particularly emotional, responds by playing everything out in slow motion. Colors are more vibrant, memories more detailed, people are capable of showing super-human strength. It felt beyond consideration that the next set of events could have happened within a second or two.

A doorman holds the door to the rooftop terrace open. She walks out and sees a quartet huddled in the distance under a canopy. There are several torches lit in the area in front of the band and near a small, formally set table covered in white. In the distance, the Thames is visible by the streaks of white, blue and red lights reflecting off of it.

Where is he?

"Jack?" 

His name erupted out of her in a lament. The scene in front of her seemed to stretch out further and silence enveloped her. 

She became aware of a gentle wave of pressure rising from behind her."Phryne, I'm right here." 

A warm hand scooped up hers, pivoting her body around to face where she had just come from. He was here! She felt Jack's warmth surround her as she was pulled into his kiss.


	10. The Rooftop Terrace at the Savoy Hotel

She was touching Jack but what she felt was a crashing wave whose tube was collapsing in on itself. There was no way of knowing which way was up, and it didn't matter. The rolling turbulence resulting from violently sweeping against the beautiful man in front of her required her complete attention. She imagined grains of gold and shells coated her as she slowed and climbed the gentle slope upward to find air.

Their lips parted but their bodies did not. She held his face in both hands and willed the room to stop moving. 

"You're here." She kissed him hard on the lips before setting a frenzied path of kisses all over his cheeks, jaw and eyelids.

"Phryne, mmmphmmm" he was silenced with another kiss. He felt her pull him in deeper. How could he possibly mind an undertow of such affection? Let him drown, he didn't care.

Her lips came to rest, eventually, on either side of his bottom lip. He tried not to move lest his smile liberated his lip from hers. But, he couldn't help it. 

"I am now covered in your lipstick, aren't I?"

She pulled back to survey her work. "A little bit, yes."

He laughed. "Will you fix it?"

"No. I don't want to."

He leaned in. "Please." God, he loved her. He missed her. He wanted this. Every. Day.

A waiter appeared from ether, balancing a silver platter of steaming, hot hand towels. The waiter looked unsure, on this occasion, who to serve first. He lifted one towel indiscriminately with silver service tongs. It was meant for cleansing ones hands prior to dinner service. 

Phryne took the towel and dabbed at Jack's skin to start clearing away the red marks so recently and purposefully deposited. Jack's eyes were scanning her face as if to make sure she was exactly as she left him 2 months ago.

"There you go, Just like before."

"Your kisses are not designed to leave me as I was before." He took the hand towel from her and identified a clean spot he could use to tidy her up in return. 

The towel was returned to the silver platter along with grateful smiles directed to the waiter. This was not the done thing one does on the Rooftop Terrace of the Savoy Hotel, even if if they were alone. She trusted the service would be repeated when they sat down to dinner. They'd behave better then. Maybe.

"Care for a waltz, Miss Fisher?"

His right arm smoothing itself around her waist, his left hand wrapping around her right.

"I have already lost all reason, Inspector Robinson. Would you have me become a big pile of mush?"

He led her in a simple traveling box step around the terrace.

"I'll be gentle. Perhaps you could tell me about your day." 

He felt her stiffen, which earned her a look of concern.

"Was it too much?

Her eyes grew serious. "It was so much."

"Mm. Quite." He guided her into a shallow dip and caught her neck with brushed lips on her way back up. "How far did you get?"

"What happens if I'm wrong, Jack?"

"Then I shall enjoy every moment of extracting payment for your lack of attention." He kissed her forehead and brought her into a tight turn.

"The spa, which was lovely, by the way..." She saw Jack dip his head in recognition. "I couldn't tell what you actually thought of me. Were you fond of me then?"

"I admired that you didn't seem to care what I thought. And I was impressed that you caught George Fletcher."

"So, not charmed at all?"

"Feeling insecure about your first impression on me?"

"Hardly. Just curious. Do you want to know what I thought of you?"

"Yes. Later."

"At the end of that case, you knew your life was about to change."

"Yes. But I gave you that one. Now its your turn. Tell me what happened next."

"There was a murder, of course. I helped you with certain clues, despite your reticence. The first case, we worked alone and the second case we started working together. So, perhaps for you it was a reluctant partnership? Of course, there was Jane."

"Is that all you remember?"

"I remember being impressed that you could tell the door lock had been ... enticed open...with a .38 caliber gun."

"I can see I will need to be kind with you until you catch up. Start from the beginning, Miss Fisher. From the moment you suspected something was wrong on the train. It was late at night. Most people were sleeping, if you'll recall."

Jack continued twirling Phryne around the dance floor, speeding up and slowing down as the mood suited. He found himself punctuating the pauses in motion with a small shows of affection - a glance, a caress. 

The train, then.

"I had a weird feeling in my stomach and thought I smelled chloroform. I walked down the side car to find the cabin where the smell was coming from. I saw Eunice Henderson on the floor through the cracks. I got into her cabin and pulled the emergency stop. Then, the police were called - utter morons."

"Then what?"

"I offered my services. They clearly weren't going to get far on their own." 

"Ah, now we are getting somewhere. What happened next?"

"Well, as you know, I might have mentioned your name. Just in passing."

"I heard you may have done more than that."

"I may have implied that you valued my contributions to murder cases in past."

" _Invaluable_ was the word you used."

"It might have been. Don't put on such a face. I was invaluable to you whether you liked or not. Anyhow, then Hugh arrived." She gave Jack an amused glance. "He really did his best to follow your orders, you know."

"Trying to gain my favor now will do him no good." he muttered in her ear.

He rotated her a half-turn and held her arm in front of him so they were facing the same direction for a slow circle.

"Hugh and I finally convinced the local team that we should return to the location of the water stop. The lot of us went on a search and found Mrs. Henderson. Then you came."

"Who led the search party?"

"I did, of course."

"Of course, you did. Go on."

"You started interviewing suspects and possible witnesses and asked me to go play cards."

"Which you didn't do."

"I'm not fond of cards, you know that Jack."

"But you did your best to stay out of the way, didn't you? You didn't have any of your own interviews on the side and especially you didn't try to speak with people before the investigating officer was there." 

"Of course not."

He twirled her and brought her back into a position facing him. This time he held her closer.

"Because your respect for the law was second to none, isn't that right?"

"If you are implying that I was uncooperative, I will dispute that. In fact, I was exceedingly cooperative. I gave you information and insight that you wouldn't have found elsewhere."

"And you didn't at all threaten to hold back information unless you got access to information that, my all rights and manner of law, was solely business of the Victorian constabulary?"

"I owed it to my client to do all in my power to see justice done. It would have been unethical for me to have acted otherwise."

"Very good. I just wanted to check that detail. What next?"

"Then there was Jane, who was caught with Mrs. Henderson's jewels."

"Remind me. How did you come to meet Jane?"

"As you very well know, you asked me to speak with her. You had gotten as far as you could and you gave up."

He grinned. "Yes, that is exactly what happened."

She paused and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You threatened to take her to welfare!"

"Well, I had done all I could, as you said."

"You knew I wouldn't let that happen."

He leans in. "How did I know?"

"I don't know. How did you know?"

"Why did you start an enterprise as a Lady Detective?"

"Because justice isn't always available through the normal routes." 

"So your respect for the law...or any lack of it..."

"Jack, did you know about Janey?" 

He nodded. "I was advised about your visit to Foyle after submitting paperwork for the prior case. I dug a little deeper and learned about your sister."

"That's why you weren't surprised when I showed you his letter."

"Your family never received justice."

"No."

"What did you think of my policing skills?"

"It seemed worthwhile to have your name handy."

"I'll take that as a complement."

"While you weren't always particularly forthright, you had...." He slowed their pace and looked into her eyes, not sure what he was seeking. "...a rather churlish charm."

"What does that have to do with police work?"

"Nothing at all. It just seemed like something worth noticing."

"Despite your claims to the contrary, you quite easily allowed a suspect to stay with me quite comfortably during the investigation."

"I did." 

"Her _'aunt'_ was appalling."

"She was."

"You knew I would protect her."

"I suspected."

"Why would you do that? What would it have meant for you if you were wrong?"

"THAT is the question, isn't it?"

"Did I intrigue you?"

"Yes."

"But, that's not it."

"Not entirely."

"Why did you join the police force, Jack?"

He invited her to dip backwards. "Oh, now that is a good question." He brought her back upright, returning to a basic box step.

"Does it have something to do with wanted to see justice done?"

"It might."

"Were you entirely happy with the amount of justice being dispensed via official channels?"

"Not entirely."

"You saw in me...an opportunity?"

"Not as such."

"An alliance?"

"Oh, god no."

"What, then?"

"I thought I might have seen something in your character."

"That meant something to you."

"It did, yes."

"You saw that I believed in what I was doing."

"Yes."

"...and ultimately - even if you didn't like my methods - you agreed with why I was doing it."

"Yes."

"I was an antidote to the apathy surrounding you?"

"There is no need to be _that_ dramatic but you are on the right track."

"I was doing something important, something I felt was important. By coincidence, you felt it was important, too." 

"Go on."

"...and i was annoying you."

"Yes."

"...because I was challenging you."

"In part. It was getting too easy to forget what was important. For several reasons. You reminded me."

"Oh." Phryne looked pleased. She remembered something he said to her several months ago. "I'm a better man when I'm with you, Phryne."

"Are you ready, then? After the train, ..."

"You suspected that we might share some ideals and that I might help you remember what was important to you." She looked for his confirmation. "Is that why you shared confidential information with me?"

"I felt compelled to share information with you because you kept holding some back of your own. I needed that information to do my job."

"Is that why you gave me those photographic plates?"

"What photographic plates?" Jack asked innocently. "So where are we now?"

He gave her one last twirl and brought her in close to end the song.

"You knew I would change your life. You suspected I might help you remember what was important."

Jack kissed Phryne's hand and walked her over to the table. He held her chair for her before taking his own. The waiter showed up again with steaming towels, this time applied according to their purpose.

Phryne eyed her dinner partner. "You wear full dress obscenely well, Jack."

Jack realized he hadn't mentioned how stunning she looked. No matter that he always thought that. That dress came alive on her. Dot had suggested the light blue; he was glad he chose this one. 

He thought he saw some other changes, too. She seemed unencumbered as if she had made peace with herself. Then again, he might just be hoping.

"You're staring, Jack."

He shook his head, blinked and grinned. "You take my breath away, sometimes."

They sat looking at each other for a while.

Phryne's eyes pointed to the single candle on the table. "Must you remember everything, Jack?"

"It's a curse. Can you live with it?" They both chuckle at the reference.

The first course was served. Consumme. Jack silently thanked Mr. Butler for his help in making arrangements and in subtle references teaching him about social expectations in formal settings. At least he understands the faux pas he'll be making this evening.

"Bart Tarrant said it was a surprise to see you today."

"It was."

"How did you get him to recite Antony and Cleopatra?"

"He mentioned that he usually greeted you with a quote from Romeo and Juliet. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask. The theatre, then?"

"You were jealous."

"Really?"

"Your response to Lin?"

"I can't say that I ever liked the man."

"Are you telling me you weren't jealous?"

"I didn't say that."

"But it wasn't the thing."

"No, it wasn't."

"Was it related?"

"It was." Jack's eyes looked up to the sky in contemplation. "Talk me through your thinking."

"I took Dot to see Ruddigore for her birthday. I had invited Hugh to come as a surprise for Dot. Imagine my surprise when we got you instead, Inspector. Walter Copland died on stage. You attempted, again, to cut me out of a murder investigation. Fortunately, I already been hired for a separate but related case at the theatre. A ghost, you'll recall. Then Gwylim Evans died with some similarities to the first murder. It could have been me." She looked directly at him. "Was that the first time you saved me, Jack? Oh...the turkish bath. That's right. Well, this time, I was I was wearing more than a bit of terrycloth." 

She grinned at him before continuing.

"I discovered that Leila Esperance and Walter Copland were engaged...then that Leila Esperance was the long lost daughter of Bart Tarrant. The mystery of the ghost was resolved and the killer captured, with excellent athletic displays from you and your constable, I might add."

"Now that I think about it, you might have made a declaration of sorts after our investigation was complete?"

"I think you'll find that I made more than one."

Now, she remembered. There was a short exchange between them right before he knocked her out of the way of a falling sand bag. _"I thought you didn't like operetta, Inspector." "I do now"_ His meaning surprised her but was crystal clear. And not altogether unwelcome.

She nodded in recognition. "When we were done searching for clues, we were walking outside of the theatre."

"Is that what we were doing? I remember it slightly differently."

She looked confused.

"I was escorting you home. Amongst other things, you had narrowly escaped death and probably had a nasty bump on your head. You weren't in any shape to get home on your own, even though you believed otherwise."

"How serious was this declaration you made?" 

"A small flirtation."

"You don't flirt."

"And then?"

"We met Lin in the middle of the street."

"And then?"

Dinner is served. Filet de Sole au Beurre Citronne. Phryne looked down at her plate then back up to him with an amused grin. "I was feeling peckish." 

She replayed the scene in her head. "You asked him to make sure I got home safely...knowing...he might...stay a while. I left you there in the alley." Realization kicked in. "I didn't even turn around to say good night."

Jack nodded.

"That must have seemed so callous. I'm sorry."

"Were you oblivious or did you suspect?"

"You were married, Jack. If you'll remember, you told me very clearly that despite being separated from your wife, you still considered yourself married. A marriage is still a marriage. I couldn't..."

"True. Though, I may have said it more for my benefit." 

"Jack..." Phryne looked concerned. So, she did hurt him. Probably many times. Every one absorbed without complaint.

"I'm not saying this to make you feel defensive and I am not asking you to apologize."

"Then what are..."

"Your assignment, Miss Fisher. Why would I possibly bring this up now?"

"You questioned my taste in men."

"I did."

"Did you consider yourself one of them?"

"No."

"But you wanted _me_ to consider you as one of them?"

"Not quite. I wanted to be conclusively NOT them."

"But you wanted to be considered."

"Reluctantly."

"Reluctantly, what?"

"I reluctantly admit that I wanted to be considered."

"Why reluctantly?"

"Neither of us was available and I couldn't imagine that you would really want me."

"But, you thought you'd be better an improvement the others."

"I wanted to be."

"But you didn't pursue me."

"No."

"Were you ashamed of your feelings?"

"No."

"You became aware of a longing?"

"Yes."

"Is that so unusual?"

"It had been awhile."

"I have seen you look at other women. What about Concetta?"

"We hadn't met. And that wasn't the same."

"Is this hard to talk about?"

"No."

"Would it have been then?"

"Yes. Do you have it now?"

"After the theatre, you became aware of your longing for me."

"Very good. Then what?"

"Then you kissed me." She smiled. 

"I did. A momentary lapse."

"Are you sorry you did?"

"No. But the effort seemed to have backfired. You weren't nearly as distracted by it as I was."

"There were one or two other things happening at the time. I hope you don't think for a second the effort wasn't appreciated."

"Oh good! No, I was aware that you like it when men take notice of you."

"That was a little more than taking notice."

"It was a liberty, I admit."

"I wanted you to do it again so many times."

"I'll make it up to you."

"Can you start making it up to me now, please?"

Jack put his napkin on the table before getting up. He held one hand out to Phryne and moved to pull out her chair as she stood. He led her the few steps closer to the railing. He leaned against it bring his lips to the same height as hers. He nibbled at her, teasing the remaining essence of orange butter from creases in her lips. 

She imagines being swept along the shore in a gentle push. She floats along side remnants of frothy water. Each nibble he gives is a bubble popping over her flesh.

She opens her eyes to his. "Why did you decide that it was your kisses you would withhold?"

"When one imagines a kiss. When I imagine a kiss, it is a sweet thing. A soft consummation. But, yours. Yours are devastating. They disrupt everything. I find they carry me away. I was afraid I couldn't find my way back." He clarifies. "I still have a life to lead. I still have to face myself and my men...and you. I couldn't risk losing myself."

"Do you feel like..." well aware of the risk of looking ridiculous. "that when we kiss...you feel like you've become part of a rolling ocean wave?"

"I feel like I get pummeled by one." She sees a look of shocked recognition. "I can't believe you feel that. Do you really _feel_ that?" I thought I was going mad.

She nods slowly.

He pulls for a deeper kiss. There they are, together. Grains of sand suspended amidst her flow of rushing water.

They come up for air. He looks at her for confirmation. How is that explained? He dives in again, feeling her move between him. Him a passenger along her currents. He lets her carry him where she will. He gets hit by an upsurge. He is aware of their tongues twisting, her hands grasping at him, him trembling. Yes. God, yes. He is aware of dipping her back, one hand in her hair, the other arm wanting to lift her legs up to him.

He stops when he remembers where they are.

"Phryne." They are breathless. He places his lips against hers to stop the movement. She presses back, then releases him. 

"Jack."

"Where are we now?"

"Rooftop Terrace...the Savoy. Remember?" She is teasing.

"After the spa, you knew your life would change  
After the train, you thought I might help to remind you of what you found important  
After the theatre, you felt a longing for something you hadn't felt in a long time  
After the restaurant, you would boycott our kiss for your lack of having a compass."

"Astute phrasing."

"I would have bought you one, had I known. The rally race then. And my adventurer's club. That wasn't a particularly pleasant time, you know."

"The feeling was mutual. I was furious with you."

"Furious? I thought that you ... " Jack raised his eyebrows at her "... just, well you thought I was too much trouble."

"There was no "just" about it."

"You said that the thought of my dying in that car was unbearable."

"It was."

"That wouldn't have made you furious."

"No."

"Things between us were starting to feel romantic, weren't they?"

"Yes."

"Were you in love with me then?"

"Probably."

"You didn't consider my feelings in making your decision."

"You hadn't considered my feelings in your actions either."

"But those were just little things."

"They weren't. What did I return that night?"

"Stockings...My stocking. with a hole burnt through it."

"Ah, why was your stocking burnt through?"

"It suspiciously got lodged in the tailpipe of a police vehicle?"

"Really? How did it get there?"

"I may have done it."

"Ah. Why did you do it?"

"To give Ailsa the chance to speak with her daughter before she was arrested."

"And what chance did you give me? I thought we were partners."

She was silent.

"You chose to devise a situation that kept me from arresting a murderer. Without telling me why. I might have surprised you. I have before."

"You have." She nodded.

"So, when you said that catching murderers together was what we did best, perhaps you can understand why I may not have agreed."

"But we did catch the murderer."

"Not together." 

"You didn't feel I was on your side."

"You weren't."

"Plus, the scare of a misunderstood accident." 

"Yes."

"And you didn't think I took your concerns about the possibility of that happening seriously."

"You didn't."

"I did - more than you think. But I was alive. It was a miscommunication."

"Not relevant. Well, it was very relevant that you were alive, of course. Not relevant that I was disregarded."

"You felt trivialized. Your feelings. Your career. Our partnership."

He nods.

"You didn't leave me because you were scared." 

"Correct."

"You left because I didn't care enough."

"No, I knew you cared." 

"Because I didn't treat you well, then."

"That isn't quite it, Phryne. It was more than how you treated me. You didn't treat me as an equal. I deserved better."

"I took liberties with things that were important to you."

"Yes."

"That sounds awful. How did this play a role in how you came to fall in love with me?"

"After the racer rally..."

"You came back." 

"Why?"

"You missed me."

"That may be true but that wasn't the reason."

"I..."

"You had changed."

"I did?"

He nods.

"How?"

"You didn't appear to be as determined to undermine my own progress for sake of your own." 

"But, the Pardarus...the orphanage. That got you in some trouble." 

"That was different."

"How so?"

"One, you apologized. Two, you held me in your confidence - you didn't keep secrets or try to hold me back"

"I suppose that's true."

"Why?"

"I haven't thought about it."

He leaned in. "Think about it."

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

"Maybe I didn't appreciate how precious you were to me."

"Thank you for saying so. You were precious to me, too. After the rally race..."

"After the rally race...as a result of the rally race...our relationship shifted and you finally felt like I was on your side."

"Yes." He smiled and rewarded her with a kiss.

"Was I that horrid to you?"

"Sometimes."

"I'm sorry, Jack."

"Make it up to me."

"How?"

"Come with me. I want to take you somewhere."

Jack grabbed Phryne's wrap in one hand and indicated she should take his other arm. They left the terrace, went down the elevator, into the lobby and over to a waiting car. Jack and the driver made eye contact and the driver nodded. So, this was planned, then. The car door was held open for her and Jack supported her hand as she ascended into the back seat. He got into the seat from the other side.

As they started driving, he cued up the discussion again. "The tennis club?"

"What began after the rally race begat what happened after the tennis match."

"You figured that out quickly."

"Well, I had some time to think about it."

She recalled what he told her: 

_"I knew you would have had me before but I had chosen to decline. Before tonight, I would have gone home or back to the station. I would have been totally distracted about what you would feel like or how you might respond to me. But, I don't want to go home anymore. It doesn't make me feel any better to have none of you."_

"You couldn't say yes to me until you knew I was on your side."

She was resting with her back on his chest, fingers entwined. They were watching the city pass them. Jack hummed against her neck.

"We still had a few wobbles."

"We did."

"My fault?"

He bit her.

She sat up and faced him. 

"I didn't ever...don't ever...want to hurt you, Jack."

"I know."

"You've become my best friend."

He kissed her hand. "and you mine."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"You are a man of mystery." She turned back around and wrapped herself back in his arms.

"After the tennis match, you gave yourself to me completely." She felt his arms close more tightly around her. "Even the thing with the kisses. That was for me, wasn't it?"

She felt his kisses in her hair. 

She sat up and turned to face him again. She needed to see his face. His eyes were wet but he didn't look away. Neither did she. 

He wasn't Rene. His love wasn't a selfish, brutish thing. His affections didn't require a limitation on her freedom. He understood what she wanted and fulfilled more - not less - of those desires, even if it scared the hell out of him. The car. This dress. He was never two steps behind her. At least, he hadn't been for quite some time.

He wasn't her father. Deceit had no place in his heart - not hers, not his, not anybody's. In fact, he left her for her deceptions and would do so again. Perhaps, she was more like her father than she thought. 

He wasn't Hugh. He was no longer innocent and had lived through heartbreak - Rosie, the war...her. He found a way to be able to keep giving, despite it all. He isn't a fool. He doesn't do this blindly. He gives consciously, accepting the certainty of further pain. 

He wasn't Aunt Prudence. His love is not a nagging thing. He coaxes her. Invites her. She shows up on her own terms and he on his. 

The closest she has felt to something like this is the love she shares with Mac. A fiercely honest, raucous expression of mutual admiration. Or what she imagines Mr. Butler would have been like with his wife - unflappable but devoted. She understands these platonically but wouldn't have given credence to their amorous variation before he showed her. 

After the tennis match, he said yes. But she hadn't. She had still been clinging onto her mummified identity. She held strong on thoughts on what she would or wouldn't do. What that would or wouldn't mean to her. How those thoughts could or could not shape the movement of her heart. 

If she can see this now, surely those rags have been removed. When did that happen?

What about fidelity? He wasn't asking for it anymore. At least, he said he wouldn't. Couldn't. She doesn't want anyone else. Quite frankly, she couldn't see how they could compete. But, if she promises that she won't be with anyone else, it doesn't mean as much as her coming to him each time. Deciding that right now, in that moment, in every moment, she only wants him. 

She wanted him in Melbourne. She wants him now. 

Her thoughts are interrupted by arriving at their destination: The Royal Observatory. Was she just here this morning? Wishing he could see what she was seeing?

She looks back at Jack, who is smiling at her with his eyes. "Come on, Jack!" She didn't wait for the driver to open the door. She grabbed Jack's hand and pulled him out on her side of the car.

"Wait. I need something."

The driver handed Jack a stack of blankets and a torch. He angled his elbow out for Phryne, she weaved her arm through his. He turned on the torch and led her towards the building.

"The building is usually dark for performing observations. There is no research scheduled tonight so we are here alone, minus our driver and a few guards. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to use this" indicating the torch.

They walked to a white, wooden stand with a star shaped sign hanging from it and a set of sign posts indicating distances to cities in all four directions. Canberra is 9173 miles away, only a few miles and a few degrees different than the distance Melbourne. This is how far they are from home.

The torch follows the metal and concrete track from the observatory building to the stand to its terminus. They walk there. Jack shakes out the blankets, heels off his shoes and invites her to join him. His face is eager. He is ten years old again. 

They sit down together. He pulls her feet into his lap and removes her shoes by touch.

"Well, Phryne" Jack's grin is palpable "do the heavens still look the same to you?" He knows full well that not a constellation visible back home can be seen from here, and vice versa. It is still the same universe - a vast and changing place incomprehensible to humans, even the ones who dedicate themselves to its study.

He looks at the sky but she looks at him. "No, it doesn't look the same at all."

Their eyes met and he kissed her hand before lying down completely. She mirrored his pose so that they lay side by side face up, looking up at the blanket of stars.

"After the observatory, you had set yourself to improve on your romantic overture."

He propped himself on his elbow to look at her. "How did I do?"

She stayed on her back but brought her face to look at his. "Well, that depends, Jack. What did you set out to achieve?"

"I wanted you to know me. The way I thought I knew you. I wanted confirmation of all of this."

"Then, test me. See how well your plans worked."

He braced himself, she noticed. "Very well, then. Why are we here, Phryne?"

They were at the terminus of the line marking the Prime Meridian at the Royal Observatory. A place that, while having been arbitrarily decided on, is the place in which all things are measured: in time, on earth and into the heavens. Zero degrees longitude. 

She wondered whether he was thinking of the note she left him. Then, she knows he has:

_"How could they not realize it needs to be measured in kisses? Heaven and earth are infinitely small in comparison. I meant every one.  
Madly, deeply in love with you._

_Your, Phryne"_

Certainty floods through her. 

"This is where we start, Jack!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming soon (maybe? possibly? if I can recover from giving birth to this little fan fiction?):
> 
> a sequel to this story that starts at the Prime Meridian and follows them back to Melbourne. Probably high an M/E rating due to the unwillingness and inability of our detectives to keep their mitts off of each other.


End file.
